WRC Preview: Rally Sweden

Written by Olivia Kairu, Edited by Benjamin Crundwell

Credits: WRC

Rally Sweden sets the stage in Umeå for the second round of the World Rally Championship (WRC) after the season-opening crown jewel, Rallye Monte-Carlo. Known for its serpentine Scandinavian forest roads, Rally Sweden promises the ultimate test for all contenders as the only true winter event with snow and ice-covered terrain.So what’s in store for the rally weekend?

Round two is set for the wintry conditions of the snow-banked Västerbotten forest with 18 stages over 300km of high-speed excitement. 

Dubbed the “ultimate playground” for rally drivers and a calendar favourite across the entry list, the event will see the return of the Kolksele and Västervik stages, with significant changes in length and direction that will certainly up the ante. 

Drivers will run on Hankook’s studded snow tyres to ride the snow edge, gaining traction to wield the terrain to their advantage.

Who could steal the show?

After a stunning run to the chequered flag, becoming the youngest winner of Rallye Monte-Carlo in WRC history, 24-year-old Swedish Toyota Gazoo Racing Oliver Solberg driver leads the championship standings into his home rally, four points ahead of his teammate Elfyn Evans. The Welsh Toyota driver, also a favourite for the frosty roads of Umeå, heads into the rally weekend seeking a second consecutive victory.

Credits: WRC

Reigning World Rally Champion Sébastien Ogier will sit out the Umeå run to come back stronger in Kenya, prioritising 10 events out of the 14 in the 2026 calendar in his campaign for a tenth title.

2024 Rally Sweden winner and fellow Scandi driver, Esapekka Lappi, will return to the championship with Hyundai Motorsport after a year-long hiatus. Lappi is poised to be a podium contender, especially amongst seasoned terrain specialists along with teammates Thierry Neuville and Adrien Formaux. 

Hyundai Motorsport’s Sporting Director, Andrew Wheatley, is conservative with his predictions for the rally, after a difficult Monte-Carlo: “Sweden is an event where the team has been successful in the past. [Lappi] won in 2024, Thierry won in 2018, and both he and Adrien have been on the podium in recent years, but it is a difficult rally to win.

“The opportunity for success is very much linked to the weather and road conditions; if the conditions are very consistent with no new snowfall, then we have three drivers with the potential to be on the podium.

However, if the conditions are more complex – for example, if warmer temperatures create larger variations in road surface condition – the running order will have more influence, and we will have to be more flexible in our preparations for each day.”

Also looking forward to Rally Sweden, having stepped up to Rally1, is M-Sport-Ford’s rookie driver, Jon Armstrong. He anticipates a positive performance after a stellar Monte-Carlo debut that put him sixth in the WRC standings.The rally gets underway on Thursday with the shakedown and the show-stopping Umeå Sprint, reaching speeds of 150km/h. 

Friday and Saturday will see drivers complete six stages each day, to end with a sprint. Sunday is set to conclude the rally with a 50.9km run on the altered Västervik stage, finishing at the Red Barn Arena for a victorious spectator finish.